If you want to make a statement on a budget, gallery walls are just the thing for you. I love that they add so much personality, and every single one is unique. You can create such a wow factor with very little investment, if you know how. I’m here to give you the low down on my top 10 tips to getting the gallery wall you want, on a budget!
Number One: Map It Out
Firstly and most importantly, it is vital you map it out first. There is no point going out there and buying every single print and piece of artwork you like willy-nilly. Costs can rack up if you buy frames and prints before you’ve planned it, so the easiest way to save money is to not spend it in the first place until you’re absolutely sure on what you want.
Firstly I would suggest literally mapping out your gallery wall with masking tape directly on the wall. I’ve done this with every single gallery wall in my home to ensure the frame sizes work together, and I was happy with the layout before I even bought one print!
Only when I’m happy with the layout do I purchase my frames. Then I start planning what prints I want. My top tip here is to map out different possible prints on your PC before you buy them to know whether they all flow together or not. It’s like trying before you buy.
This way you’re not buying loads of prints you won’t end up using, or the wrong size frames. Easy money saving straight away! For a more in depth post about this, head over to my blog post Gallery Walls: 101.
Number Two: Go for Inexpensive Frames
All of my gallery walls use the cheapest range from Ikea, but you’d never know as they look a lot more expensive! The Range is also a great place to purchase cheap frames from.
Better still, who says you have to buy them in the right colour? I bought those same Ikea frames, but painted them in my desired colour to be able to use them in this nursery. I used a tester pot from Wilko, but you could easily just use spray paint!
These frames don’t always have to be uniform either, you can mix and match! If you really want at least one really posh frame go for it!
Number Three: Free Printables
The cheapest option is of course free printables! There are loads of great blogs out there offering their artwork and typography for free! I found quite a few of mine on Pinterest. A few ask you to subscribe to their blog before you can download the printable, which is nice to do anyway to keep getting inspiring ideas! Others are downloadable straight away! Just print them off at home, stick them in a frame and voilà!
Most of the prints in the above gallery wall featured in my hallway were free printables, including that beautiful antique camera!
Number Four: Small Business Printables
There are quite a few online shops where you can purchase printable wall art for a matter of a couple quid. Etsy is a great example, hundreds and hundreds of beautiful prints available at your fingertips! Sorry if I’ve just sent you down the rabbit hole…
Best thing is, you get to keep the downloaded file forever for future use, or to print multiple times. Also, quite often you can ask for prints to be personalised or tailored to you. Not to mention you’ll also be supporting small businesses too!
If you prefer a bit more of an upmarket look once printed, there are quite a few online shops that offer printing services for not much at all, such as Dox Direct, Instant Print, Snapfish. Just give it a quick Google, there are loads!
Number Five: Shop Around
Desenio is one of my favourite online shops for gallery wall prints, and they quite often have a sale on! Their prices are also very reasonable.
Keep an eye out at other stores though, Homesense, Homebase, Ikea, B&M and Jysk etc are also very good places to look out for! I found this black and white map of Paris print in B&Q for very little, and it came with the frame!
Number Six: Think Outside the Box
Why not use your favourite fabric for art! Or perhaps some fabulous printed wallpaper or wrapping paper? Snippets of clothing, newspaper or magazine clippings, old maps, tea towels all can be framed and will totally work as an art piece!
The best thing about gallery walls is there is no wrong way to go about it, so go for it!
Number Seven: Use Your Own Photos
There is nothing more personal or special than using your own photos. There are tonnes of websites or apps that allow you to print loads of photos for free, you only pay for the postage! Photobox, Free Snaps or Snapfish are some examples.
For a more seamless look, you could edit your photos before you send them off. Perhaps make them all black and white so they’re all co-ordinated? Or maybe just edit them all using the same filter, which should allow for them to flow as well.
Whose to say you can’t mix and match your photos with typography and art prints? Get creative, remember there are no rules!
Number Eight: Stick to Smaller Size Prints
You don’t have to have big prints to make a big impact. Smaller gallery walls can still make a difference to a room, such as above, I feel that these two little prints really tie off this corner of the bedroom.
I have a few gallery walls in my home that were very inexpensive mostly down to the size of the prints. The prices start racking up when you start increasing frame sizes and print sizes. But you can still have a beautiful and stylish gallery wall with smaller prints too. Such as below in my kitchen. Some were purchased from online stores, some were free printables. The largest print below is 30cm x 40cm.
Number Nine: Be Your Own Artist
What’s more unique than making it yourself?! Whip out that paintbrush and go mad! Slap it in a frame and you could pass it off as any famous artist I bet you!
Typography is also available for those less confident with a paintbrush. I’ve made a few typography prints, once they’re in a frame they definitely look the part! This will probably only work best on smaller framed prints, such as the little love heart below. Most of my typography ones have been A4 max.
Number Ten: Charity Shops and Second Hand
It wouldn’t be a blog post written by me if this didn’t get a mention!
You can get some really great stuff from charity shops. Plenty of beautiful frames go for less than £1, give it a spray paint and you have one top notch frame! Loads of prints, post cards and maps can be found too if you keep your eyes peeled.
Not something I’ve managed to do just yet, but you could even use fabrics from clothing, scarves or sheets and frame it as a feature too! Total bargain!
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There you have it! Your top 10 tips to making a gallery wall on a budget! There are so many more ideas, I just couldn’t fit them all in!
Just remember, there are no limits when it comes to a gallery wall, anything goes and that’s why I love them! They’re fun, personal and beautiful! It’s a great way to make a real statement in a room without necessarily spending a fortune!
If you have a go, make sure you’re following me on Instagram @budgethomeinteriordesign and you share with me using #thisbudgethome, I’d love to see your creations!
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Budget Home Interior Design 
[…] I love that a gallery wall adds so much to the look of a room, and shows off your personality in a big way! Plus, you bring it with you when you leave! I’ve done a whole blog post on how to put together a gallery wall on a budget here. […]
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